A former 'Love Is Blind' season two cast member has filed a lawsuit for "inhumane working conditions," saying he was denied food and water and was pushed to consume alcohol on an empty stomach.
After featuring on the show for the first week of production, Jeremy Hartwell believes the conditions were unacceptable and is in the process of suing Netflix as well as the show's production and casting studios Kinetic Content, and Delirium TV.
In the lawsuit, he said: “The combination of sleep deprivation, isolation, lack of food, and an excess of alcohol all either required, enabled or encouraged by defendants contributed to inhumane working conditions and altered mental state for the cast."
“At times, defendants left members of the cast alone for hours at a time with no access to a phone, food, or any other type of contact with the outside world until they were required to return to working on the production.”
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According to Hartwell's lawyer, the cast members were "hungry for social connections and altered their emotions and decision-making" due to a lack of food and drink.
He also claimed that the contestants were paid $1,000 per week after working 20-hour days, seven days a week, bringing their price down to $7.14 per hour.
Hartwell claimed in an interview with CNN that he was not seeking any money or publicity, he just wants justice.
Kinetic have spoken with Variety claiming there is "no merit" to Hartwell’s allegations against them.
"Mr Hartwell's involvement in Season 2 of 'Love is Blind' lasted less than one week," they stated. Mr Hartwell's time was cut short when he failed to form a hopeful relationship with any other contestant.
Hartwell reaffirmed what he had alleged in a three-part video posted to his Instagram.
Danielle Ruhl Thompson and Nick Thompson, both previous Love Is Blind cast members, reacted to Hartwell's post.
"Proud of u," Danielle replied, and Nick added, "Keep speaking your truths! Integrity always wins in the end.”
That it does.
Now, we are curious to see where this goes and if there is solid ground to these "inhumane" claims.
Love may be blind but the truth isn’t!
